S’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas رضي الله عنه narrated, “I saw my brother, ‘Umair Ibn Abi Waqqas (رضي الله عنه ) hide himself before he was presented before Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم on the occasion of battle of badr. I asked him, “O my brother! What has happened to you? ” He replied, “I fear that if the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم saw me, he would think of me to be too young and would disallow me (to go). But I love to go out (in the battle). May it be that Allah would grant me Shahadah.” But soon after that he was presented before the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم who disallowed him. He started to weep due to which he permitted him [to go out]. S’ad said, ” I tied the sword’s age. He was martyred at the age of sixteen years (only).”

Transmitted by Ibn Sa’d as given in al-Isabah vol 3 and also by Bazzar. Its narrators are reliable as given in al Majma’.

‘Aisha رضي الله عنها narrated that: “Once Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه came out to search for Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم . Both were friends from pre islamic days. On finding him, Abu Bakr said,”O Abul Qasim (صلى الله عليه وسلم )! I do not find you in the meeting of the nations (ie tribes); and people accuse you of cursing their forefathers.” He replied, “I am the messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) and I invite you towards Allah.” As soon as he finished his talk, Abu Bakr embraced Islam. The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) became very pleased with Abu Bakr’s Islam as no one among those living between the two hills of Mecca was pleased. Then Abu Bakr went to ‘Uthman Ibn Affan, Talha Ibn ‘Ubaidullah, Zubair Ibn al Awwam and S’ad Ibn Abi waqqas (رضي الله عنهم ) and invited them towards goodness (ie Islam). They also embraced Islam. The next day, he went to ‘Uthman Ibn Maz’un, Abu ‘Ubaidah Ibn Al Jarrah, Abdur Rahman Ibn ‘Auf, Abu Salamah Ibn “Abdul Asad and Arqam Ibn Abul Arqam (رضي الله عنهم ). They also embraced Islam.

Qatadah says:
Umar [Rad came out from the masjid and with him was al-Jarud al-Abdi. There was a woman on the main road. Umar greeted her. She answered (his greeting) and (then) said: Be off, O Umar! I have seen you (when you were) called Umayr (lttle Umar) in the marketplace of Ukaz, tending the sheep with your stick. Then the days passed and you were called Umar. Then the days passed and (now) you are called Commander of the Believers. So, be wary of God in respect of the subjects (whom you govern). And she continued advising him. Then al-Jarud said: Woman, you have said a lot to the Commander of the Believers. Umar said: Let her be. Do you not know her? This is Khawlah bint Hakim, the wife of Ubayd ibn al-Samit, whose word was heard by Allah from above the seven heavens.* So it is most fitting for Umar to listen to her.
Ibn Abd al-Barr, al-Isti’ab

*The Caliph is here alluding to the sending down of the opening verses of al-Mujadalah

‘Amr bin Maimun said: “I used to visit Ibn Mas’ud every thrusday afternoon, but he never uttered the words:

“The messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said.” Then one evening, he said: ‘Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said then he let his head hang down.” He said: “I looked at him and saw that his shirt was unfastened; his eyes were filled with tears, and his veins were bulging out (With fear). He said: ‘Or more than that, or less than that, or close to that, or something similar.”

Sa’id Ibn ‘Umar narrated that Bilal al Habashi (رضي الله عنه) was under heavy torture and he was buried alive under heavy stones when Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) came and bought his freedom for five measures of gold. After accepting the deal, the Quraishi headman remarked to Abu Bakr, “I would have sold him to you even if you had insisted and bargained on a single measure of gold.” Abu Bakr replied, “Should you even had insisted on asking hundred measures of gold for his freedom, I would have paid them.”

Salmân Al-Fârsî – Allâh be pleased with him – once visited a sick friend. When he entered upon him he said:

Have glad tidings, for verily Allâh makes the illness of a believer an expiation [for his sins] and a cause of being pleased, whereas the illness of a sinner is like a camel that has been tied by its owners, thenreleased by them: it knows not why it was tied up nor why it was released.

Al-Bukhârî, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad in the Chapter on the Expiation [of sins through] illness

A man came to Ibn Abbas (ra) and said, “I asked for a women’s hand in marriage, and she refused me. Someone else asked for her hand and she accepted and married him. I felt jealous so I killed her. Will my repentance be accepted?”

Ibn Abbas (ra) asked, “Is your mother still alive?”

He said, “No.”

So Ibn Abbas (ra) told him, “Repent to Allah and do your best to draw close to Him.”

Then Ataa’ ibn Yasaar (ra) who over heard their conversation asked, “why did you ask him if his mother was still alive?”

Ibn Abbas (ra) said, “Because I know of no other deed that brings people closer to Allah than kind treatment and respect towards one’s mother.”